Falling
by dqmwartist
Summary: This story is part of a New Year's Quote Challenge on the Dr. Quinn Forum. I used a quote from the movie Enchanted and made it into a story about Brian and Sarah reuniting after all these years. It's a sweet story of falling in love all over again. Authors note: This takes place in Boston ten years after The Heart Within & was written back in 2007


Falling

© 2007 by dqmwartist

"Do you make it a habit of falling from things?" Brian asked as Sarah fell with a thump into his awaiting arms.  
"Only when you're there to catch me." She answered, smiling up at him with love in her eyes. Her memory went back for a moment to when he had rescued her as a child as she dangled by a rope from a Christmas tree.

Brian reached down to brush a strand of hair from Sarah's face. Her eyes were beautiful and her face the picture of woman hood.

"How about we get you home and some warm soup into you. It's freezing out here," Brian remarked just as the wind brought a new gust of snow over them both.

Sarah it seemed still managed to keep a rosy glow about her, even in the New England winter. "Sounds lovely," she answered in a voice that was almost breathless.

Brian then tried to put on a brave face as he bit through the cold air to lift Sarah up off the cold ground. He wasn't too sure what she was doing trying to come out of a carriage so quickly or what she was doing here in Boston. Yet a part of him was thrilled, his heart couldn't stop the rapid beating that the feel of her was causing him.

"Come on," said Brian as he set her back on her feet again and wrapped his arm around her. A part of him wished he had a blanket or warm cape with him. She was chilled to the bone.

Sarah cuddled close to Brian feeling the warmth of him against her cold body. She had missed him so much all this time living in Georgia and by chance she had learned that he was in Boston. Her best friend Jackie had a Globe sent all the way from Boston just to read a new romance, little did she know that a childhood friend of Sarah's wrote for that very paper. From then on she had worked her hardest to get there, even with Jackie's looks of disproval.

"You just can't throw your life away like that," Jackie had barked at her. "Your life is here in Georgia with Edward, not in some Yankee town."

"It's my life to live and if I want to up and leave then I will," Sarah had shot back merely to prove a point. Although she had seen her words fall hard on Jackie; they hadn't parted well. But now she was with the man she'd loved all these years.

Brian walked carefully back to his home, all the while making sure he didn't jostle Sarah who seemed to have found a comfortable position on his shoulder. This for the moment didn't make the best of walking conditions either in this cold as her body warmth radiated through him. He had no idea how much he'd missed her all these years, nor what brought her all the way here to Boston. There were so many questions he wanted to ask.

What seemed like hours later with a near frozen body, Brian arrived finally at his doorstep. "Here we are," he said into the cold as his breath came out in puff of white.

Sarah blinked as the snowflakes touched her lashes and began to look before her at the stately door, surrounded by a beautiful wreath with a dark burgundy bow. In the middle of it was a candle glowing golden as the snow fell softly around it. "It's beautiful, Brian, just beautiful," she answered in a breathless fog.

Brian beamed inside and tried to suppress the urge to kiss her right then and their as her beautiful face looked so innocent and childlike. Instead he fumbled for a key in his pocket, and released Sarah to peer out over the railing into the neighbor's yard.

"How long have you lived here?" Sarah asked into the cold air as Brian's cold fingers worked to open the door.

"Ever since…."He paused at the bitter memory of his grandmother's passing that resulted in his decision to stay in Boston. "Ma and Pa returned home after Grandma's passing," he replied in a rush while using his hands to invite her inside.

"Oh I'm so sorry to hear of her passing," Sarah replied with pain in her eyes and a hidden longing before she stepped into the house.

Brian stood there dumbfounded with a deep flush beginning to form on his face. He was shocked at her sympathy after so many years and yet the look that followed made him so week in the knees. His Sarah that he'd known from so many years gone by with her innocent face and beautiful smile was now all grown up and looking at him with a woman's eyes. He'd seen that look in his parent's eyes early on; the whole town had. Only he hadn't known Ma or Sully to be so blunt with each other either.

"Oh Brian your house is beautiful I just love it," Sarah called out to herself from inside the home.

Brian snapped out of his trance then to watch her twirl around and come to face him with a deep flush in her own cheeks. "I'm glad you approve," he replied unsure of what else to say.

Sarah only giggled at his remark as he made his way inside, only to trip on the rug right inside the door. It wasn't the best of rugs but it had come from home and he wasn't about to throw it away, even if it was ending up slowly in tatters.

He landed somewhat softly onto the floor and then into Sarah's arms. "Sorry about that," he muttered into her skirts.

"It's alright, best be more careful and not make a habit of falling off things," Sarah replied as she ran fingers through his longish brown hair.

"I'll try," he replied still chattering into her skirts. "But if you are there to catch me then I can't make many guarantees."

Sarah laughed at that before her eyes settled down on Brian's who were now looking softly up at into her own. "I'll try to be there to catch you," she said softly as he reached for her hand to place a gentle kiss on her hand as it was the only thing he could reach.

Sarah felt her body responding to the soft touch of his lips on her hand as her eyes closed in what felt like a touch of heaven. Only in her heart she knew she was home, home to stay with Brian after years of separation there was no turning back now.

Brian wasn't too sure how long he'd laid on the floor with Sarah's hand in his own until the bright sun poured through the door. The air was also cold as he realized in all his fluster that the front door never got closed. He then tried to sit up, but found that a warm body lay wrapped around him restricting any movements. "Great," he thought to himself. "This is gonna look swell when the neighbors begin to wake up." For this he wasn't too thrilled knowing the plump gossip Mrs. Trumble who lived next door. She was a nightmare in itself.

Sarah however slept peacefully and unaware of Brian laying there nearly horrified with what would happen if someone came to his door at this very moment. She dreamed of the handsome boy she once knew, the one who have given her a sweet kiss, played a lovely duet with her, and given her a small white dog.

Sarah cherished those memories and in her dreams wished that she had found that same little boy wrapped inside the handsome man who still held her small hand in his own.

Brian to his own horror herd noises coming from the wall next door, even as he tried with desperation to move. Something he thought would be better than to hear her singing through the walls before she came out to get the morning milk and then… He didn't want to even imagine what might occur. Why she'd have the whole city….

"Mmm…" said Sarah as she began to stir from her curled spot on the floor. She blinked her eyes open for a moment, wincing at the bright sunlight. "Why whoever let all that light inside…it's too bright," she remarked.

Just then Brian had his chance as she let go of his hand to shield her eyes, he then bolted to the door to shut it. Once that was done he leaned up against it to catch his breath, thankful that Mrs. Trumble missed having something scandalous to add to her gossip column.

Sarah then sat up straight the moment she heard the door slam shut and then found herself looking at a nearly breathless man. "Are you alright?" she asked with a southern charm she would not be able to shake.

"I'm fine, really," Brian replied as he tried to catch his breath.

"Looks to me like something really shook you up good," said Sarah as she got up from the floor and straightened her skirts.

"Nah, it's nothing," Brian wanted to say but nothing would come out the moment her eyes locked with his. Instead his knees gave way and he landed with a hard thump on the floor.

"Well you'd best get up and eat," Sarah said with the look of a woman who meant business and wasn't about to help him now. She then turned towards the kitchen, only to find another woman was in there.

"Who are you?" she asked the moment Sarah stepped into the kitchen. She wasn't too sure who this young thing was and hoped that she would be gone soon. The Brian she knew wouldn't have invited anything frivolous into the house.

"I'm Sarah, and you are?" she replied in a polite southern voice.

"Polly," she lied. Not about to let her know what her real name was and who she was for that matter. After all she was Brian's and this little whatever she hoped would soon be gone.

Brian however didn't stay on the floor long once he heard the sounds that were coming from the kitchen. Mrs. Trumble had sent her daughter in here again to woo him with breakfast. "Damn that hidden door."

Brian stepped into the kitchen the moment Petunia decided to send Sarah an unpleasant look along with a remark to get her out of the way. He watched as Sarah walked away with a saddened look on her face, much like a puppy whose been banished without a reason.

Petunia however looked slightly amused with herself as she put her focus back into cooking.

Brian didn't like this at all and he also wasn't quite sure who to deal with first, Petunia or Sarah. Truth be told he should have known but after last night his mind was in a complete fog.

"Oh, Brian darling you're up, how wonderful!" Petunia exclaimed the moment she turned to the noise of his shoes shuffling on the wooden floor.

"Umm," Brian muttered to himself wondering how he was going to get her out of here.

"Surely you're happy to see me?" Petunia questioned him with a flirtatious look at a shove of her bosom in his face.

"I don't have time for this now," Brian replied hoping somewhere that she'd quit this act.

Sarah watched from her perch on a gentleman's chair as the woman she thought was Polly but who really was Petunia, flirt with Brian outright. She didn't like it one bit, nor did she care much for the way Brian was handling things. "Surely he can kick her out, right?" She thought to herself. Only she didn't know what kind of person Mrs. Trumble was and how much her daughter took after her in the pursuits of happiness.

Petunia stuck out her lip in a pout at Brian's remark. She didn't like to be dismissed at all, and surely he would come to her and get rid of the slip of a thing. But she wasn't out of tricks, "But darling, surely you'll want your breakfast? After all a man's got to eat."

Brian pretended not to hear her remark at all as he made his way over towards Sarah. "We've got to get out of here," he whispered.

"But why can't she leave?" Sarah whispered back.

Brian's face flushed and then paled, this was not what he had in mind and would have to think quickly. He then turned back around and headed towards the kitchen to attempt to get Petunia out.

"Breakfast would be great," Brian started, "A nice omelet to start with would be wonderful and then maybe some warm spiced apples and bread."

Petunia nodded at his requests before answering: "I'll go look in the icebox for some eggs."

Brian however sensing an opportunity blocked her way to the icebox. "I'm afraid I don't have any eggs."

"Oh, dear that can't be. I thought that…."

"Why don't you go see if your mother has some?" Brian suggested hoping that she would get the hint.

"Mother?" Petunia squeaked. "Oh no I can't ask mother, what would she think of me returning and you haven't eaten a thing. Oh no I can't do that." She looked up at Brian then with pleading eyes, hoping that he would bend in her direction.

"I'm sure she'd understand," said Sarah finally getting up from the gentleman's chair.

Petunia turned at the sound of Sarah's voice and footsteps from behind her, the anger growing in her voice. She had to get her out of here and now. "Why don't you go fetch us some eggs for breakfast?" Petunia asked in a sweet tone laced with an edge of venom.

Sarah stood there speechless trying to find words to respond. She didn't like being ordered about like this at all and clearly Petunia had pinned her in a corner.

"Surely that's not a hard task is it? Why I even have some money you can use," Petunia volunteered in her efforts to get Sarah out of Brian's home where to her way of thinking she didn't belong.

What she didn't count on was that her purse being near the door and with all three of them walking towards it that when she opened it to let Sarah out, that she was the one left in the cold.

Brian had seen the opportunity before Sarah did with Petunia leading them towards the door and with her opening it, gave him a clear path to shove her out into the snow.

"Are you sure that was a nice thing to do?" Sarah asked in a whisper once the door was shut.

"Probably not, but I can't stand her," Brian replied in a whisper. He didn't want to say too much that Petunia might hear and report back to her mother. That would not bode well at all.

Sarah nodded in what appeared to be an agreement before trying to stifle a laugh at the noises coming from the outside. She could hear the pitiful wails of poor Petunia has she longed to come back inside and pleading with darling Brian for one thing or another.

Brian chose not to listen to her antics, choosing instead to come closer to Sarah. He wanted to forget the horrible cow was even in his house and relish his time with a girl he'd known as a boy.

Sarah didn't get much warning the moment Brian closed in on her and the smell of him enveloped her senses. Anything that she'd been thinking of saying was completely lost in the warmth of his touch that followed and the sweetness of his kiss.

Brian held her close as he inhaled her scent of roses not wanting to even let go. He wasn't concerned at the moment why she was here or how she happened to fall out of things at the right time. All that he cared about was Sarah and having her here with him, a part of his past he had always cherished.

Sarah snuggled close to Brian not wanting to break away from his warmth or to face the reality of what they had done. She loved the smell of him and that after all these years he still remembered her. Never mind either that she had a habit of falling, just so long as he was there to catch her was all that mattered.


End file.
